I first met Chris in 2008. I received an email from a mysterious man named Mike Buffington who had stumbled upon my photography website.
Since I was only 15, my father was skeptical about this job opportunity so he came with me to my interview with Mike and Chris.

I sat across from Chris in what would soon be the Barrow Journal’s conference room.
Mike explained that I’d be the photographer for his upcoming Barrow publication and that Chris would be my editor.
He was quiet during the meeting and seemed somewhat skeptical of me.
He’s often told me about his conversation with Mike questioning his move to hire a high school sophomore who couldn’t yet drive.
I can’t blame him for being unsure about my young work ethic, but he trusted Mike’s decision.
And we had eight great years together bringing Barrow County our newspaper.
Chris and I were there since day one when the inaugural edition was published. It has truly been a wonderful experience to be part of such an enterprise right from the start.
It didn’t take long for Chris to warm up to me. He always complimented my work each week, and it was such a joy to work for him.
He has always spoken very highly of me and my contribution to the paper and pushed my aspiration to new levels.
Because of him I was able to shoot on the sidelines of UGA, Georgia Tech and the Atlanta Falcons.
He thought highly enough to let me judge the sports photography entries for the Georgia Press Association newspaper contest for Georgia colleges.
He gave me free reign to design the graphics and photos for the annual football preview. I can’t thank him enough for the doors he opened for me.
On a personal level, Chris has become one of my dearest friends. You could say, he’s like family.
Right before my 18th birthday, I developed symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis that affected my work. I could barely hold my camera or walk the sidelines, and he was understanding and compassionate to my situation.
He knew that for the past two years I had done my job well and was always willing to help me out when I was struggling.
There were times I had to call in sick because I spent hours vomiting up my new medications, and he never yelled or reprimanded me.
He would just tell me not to worry about it and rest was more important.
As I was struggling with life with a chronic illness and starting college, he worked with me to make sure my education was put first.
He stood up for me even when another co-worker (who has not worked for us in several years) thought it was best to fire me.
It was an incredibly difficult chapter in my life, and Chris could see that it was only temporary. And it was.
I know that Chris has written columns about friendship before because one of the things he values most in life is friendship.
It’s so rare these days to find someone who always has your back, who is always there for you. He has always been a great friend to me and my family.
He has comforted me when I struggled with my diagnosis, when my cat was severely ill, when I ended a serious relationship and when my dog passed away.
No matter the situation, Chris was there as a friend to help me. He has always and will continue to be someone I can confide in. I will truly miss working alongside him, but I’m so happy that he will always be my good friend.
He’s been such a positive influence in my life, and I could never thank him enough.
We certainly had eight amazing years with this paper. Earlier this week I received an envelope in the mail from Chris.
In it, I found a note thanking me for the past eight years and several brightly colored pieces of paper folded in half.
I unfolded them and realized they were the judges’ commentary sheets from the Georgia Press Association for the awards we had won over the past few years.
They were full of compliments of my photography and our work as a sports duo for our sports section. I burst into tears. All this time, he had kept them.
We had a great run, Chris. We helped put together an award-winning newspaper from scratch.
We created some fantastic sports sections and football previews.
Congratulations on your future endeavors. We will miss you. Friday night football won’t be the same without you arguing with the refs. Winder resident Jessica Brown is the staff photographer for the Barrow News-Journal. You can reach her at picsbyjessica1@gmail.com.

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